Secure Wireless Network FAQ:
I have a linksys router that I use for 3 computers, to desktops and a laptop. My neighbor is using my router and I want to block them with a password or something, how do I do it?
Put a password, what a novel Idea,,,,,How, where?
I guess I should have asked how do I log in to my router to add a password?
I have a linksys router that I use for 3 computers, to desktops and a laptop. My neighbor is using my router and I want to block them with a password or something, how do I do it?
Put a password, what a novel Idea,,,,,How, where?
I guess I should have asked how do I log in to my router to add a password?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Put a password
Put password, LMAO
1) Secure your wireless router or access point administration interface
Almost all routers and access points have an administrator password that’s needed to log into the device and modify any configuration settings. Most devices use a weak default password like “password” or the manufacturer’s name, and some don’t have a default password at all. As soon as you set up a new WLAN router or access point, your first step should be to change the default password to something else. You may not use this password very often, so be sure to write it down in a safe place so you can refer to it if needed. Without it, the only way to access the router or access point may be to reset it to factory default settings which will wipe away any configuration changes you’ve made.
2) Don’t broadcast your SSID
Most WLAN access points and routers automatically (and continually) broadcast the network’s name, or SSID (Service Set IDentifier). This makes setting up wireless clients extremely convenient since you can locate a WLAN without having to know what it’s called, but it will also make your WLAN visible to any wireless systems within range of it. Turning off SSID broadcast for your network makes it invisible to your neighbors and passers-by (though it will still be detectible by WLAN “sniffers”).
3)Enable WPA encryption instead of WEP
802.11’s WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy) encryption has well-known weaknesses that make it relatively easy for a determined user with the right equipment to ***** the encryption and access the wireless network. A better way to protect your WLAN is with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). WPA provides much better protection and is also easier to use, since your password characters aren’t limited to 0-9 and A-F as they are with WEP. WPA support is built into Windows XP (with the latest Service Pack) and virtually all modern wireless hardware and operating systems. A more recent version, WPA2, is found in newer hardware and provides even stronger encryption, but you’ll probably need to download an XP patch in order to use it.
4) Remember that WEP is better than nothing
If you find that some of your wireless devices only support WEP encryption (this is often the case with non-PC devices like media players, PDAs, and DVRs), avoid the temptation to skip encryption entirely because in spite of it’s flaws, using WEP is still far superior to having no encryption at all. If you do use WEP, don’t use an encryption key that’s easy to guess like a string of the same or consecutive numbers. Also, although it can be a pain, WEP users should change encryption keys often– preferably every week. See this page if you need help getting WEP to work.
5) Use MAC filtering for access control
Unlike IP addresses, MAC addresses are unique to specific network adapters, so by turning on MAC filtering you can limit network access to only your systems (or those you know about). In order to use MAC filtering you need to find (and enter into the router or AP) the 12-character MAC address of every system that will connect to the network, so it can be inconvenient to set up, especially if you have a lot of wireless clients or if your clients change a lot. MAC addresses can be “spoofed” (imitated) by a knowledgable person, so while it’s not a guarantee of security, it does add another hurdle for potential intruders to jump.
6) Reduce your WLAN transmitter power
You won’t find this feature on all wireless routers and access points, but some allow you lower the power of your WLAN transmitter and thus reduce the range of the signal. Although it’s usually impossible to fine-tune a signal so precisely that it won’t leak outside your home or business, with some trial-and-error you can often limit how far outside your premises the signal reaches, minimizing the opportunity for outsiders to access your WLAN.
7) Disable remote administration
Most WLAN routers have the ability to be remotely administered via the Internet. Ideally, you should use this feature only if it lets you define a specific IP address or limited range of addresses that will be able to access the router. Otherwise, almost anyone anywhere could potentially find and access your router. As a rule, unless you absolutely need this capability, it’s best to keep remote administration turned off. (It’s usually turned off by default, but it’s always a good idea to check.)
ViperOne999
There are many things you can do, but keep in mind that there are commonly available snooping devices that can defeat most routers.
All of these things require you logging into your router and going through the configuration procuedures. Some of these things may not be available, some others may be available that I don’t know of: Perform these changes after you have all the devices connected to your router and working properly. Make sure to document what you changed in case you have trouble later on. If you add more devices later you may have to change some of these settings back to what they used to be temporarily to configure the new device, and then put the security options into place.
1. Change the admin password. All routers of your make and model have the same admin password by default.
2. Don’t broadcast the SSID name. This will make your network invisible to the casual browser.
3. Use WPA2-PSK [AES] or WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] for connectivity. These are more secure than WEP.
4. Use a VERY LONG passphrase for setting up the wireless devices. Some routers will generate this key for you.
5. Change the router’s name. By default most routers of your make and model will have all or part of the router’s name set the same.
6. Setup an access list. Set an access list by MAC address. This will limit access to devices you specify. MAC address can be found on the adapter somewhere.
7. Disable the router’s PIN. This is another security procedure to further lock down access.
8. Disable ping on internet port. This will not allow a response to a ping command from the internet side of the router.
9. Make sure NAT filtering is ON. This is your firewall.
10. Don’t enable too many ports for access to your network through your router. This is how many problems with port attacks come from.
11. Do not turn remote management on unless you have a problem that can only be diagnosed from a computer out on the internet somewhere. If you have to do this, make sure to disable this feature immediately after the problem is solved.
Hope this helps!
Go to your router setting and in the security tab choose WPA-PSK (better than WEP).
Type a key, something like this : 01 2C 45 67 89 A0 CD EF 01 23 45 6D F9
Put this key in all your PC’s. And only you will have access to your network.